Closure operator



May 23, 1939. A .1. POTEET CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed June 2, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet l qlkerfl Foieei May 23, 1939.

J. POTEET 2,159,861

CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed June 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e lfierf 1 022011Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES,

PATENT err-ice 2 Claim.

This invention relates' to an improved v closure operator'particularlyadapted for opening and closing and retaining casementwindows in adjusted positions.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide an operator forswinging closures, particularly casement or French windows, having meansmanually actuated from within to swing the closure through an arc ofsubstantially one hundred and eighty degrees, and to retain the closureat any desired point throughout its arc of movement.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide anoperator including a manually actuated worm andgear to actuate a linkand lever to swing a vertically hinged closure from its closed positionthrough an arc of substantially one hundred and eighty degrees or untilthe closure is parallel to or in engagement with the outer side of thebuilding of which it forms a part.

The advantage of this invention resides in the fact that verticallyhinged closures such as casement windows may be actuated fromwithin andswung to a fully opened position substantially parallel to the outerside of the building or wall to which it is connected so that the windowwhen it is in open position will not form a battle to divert aircurrents ,from the window opening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will'hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description oi the drawings whichillustrate a preferred form of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view looking toward the innerside of the lower hinged corner of a casement window to which theinvention/is attached,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on th'e line 2 2 of Figure1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

.Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figures Band 6 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 55 and 6-,t,respectively, of

ure 3- (I at l5 to form a closure for the window opening l0.- Theseparts are of conventional construc- I tion and are shown merely toillustrate the invention which will hereinafter be described.

A base plate It is secured at its four corners by fastenings ill to theupper face of the sill l3,

adjacent the hinged edge-of the window It. Plate i6 adjacent one of itsends, is provided with upwardly extending spaced ears It provided with lopenings l9, and a groove 20, in the upper face of plate it between earsis which is arcuately shaped in cross section, as best seen in Figure 5.

A worm 2! is positioned between ears l8 and is provided with a reducedshank 22 at one end adapted to be journaled in theopening. it of the earit, which is adjacent to the window l i.v

Worm' it at its opposite end is provided with a recess 23 to receive oneend of a shaft 2 5, which is journaled in the opening it of the othercar it. The opposite end of shaft 2t fits into one end of a sleeve 25,and the pins 26 key shaft M v to worm 2i and sleeve 25. Sleeve ispositioned between the outer side of the last mentioned ear it and abearing member 21! which is secured by the iastenings 23 to sill it, inspaced relationship to plate it. Bearing 2i is provided with an opening29 which aligns with the openings E9 of ears it and with the bore 30 ofsleeve 25, into one end of which the shaft it fits.

A crank 3i isprovided with a stem 32 having a groove it extending from,a point adjacent to, through its free end. Stem 32, as 'best seen inFigure 3, is joumaled in the opening 29 of bearing 21 and has its. freeend extending into the bore 3d of sleeve 25*,to be keyed thereto by theset screws td having the tapering ends 35 to fit the converging sides ofthe slot 33. Extending upwardly through plate it, adjacent its oppositeend, is .a headed pivot post 36 on which a gear sector 31? is rotatably-mounted. An annular groove 38 is formed in the upper face of the plateIt around the post 36 in which are mounted a plurality of ball bearings39 on which gear sector this adapted to be supported and by means ofwhich it is enabled to turn freely on post 36. Gear sector 31issubstantially a circular member having a series of teeth M), cut inits edge and extending through an arc of slightlymore than one hundredand eighty degrees. An arm or lever M, is formed integral with gearsector 31 and projects outwardly therefrom between the opposite ends ofthe series of teeth'til, and has a link t2 pivotally connected at 43 toits free end. Link 42 is pivotally connected at one of its ends at 43,and at its opposite end to a bracket 44 secured to the casement windowi4 preferably on its bottom rail.

As best seen in Figure 2, arm 6| is positioned substantially parallel tothe window M, when the latter is in its closed position, and the link 42is disposed at acute angles to arm 4| and window It in this position.The thread 45 of worm 2| which meshes with the teeth 40, and which isaccommodated by the groove 20, will swing arm 4| toward window l4, whencrank 3| is turned in a counterclockwise direction. The length of link42 is less than that of lever 4|, so that by turning crank 3| in acounterclockwise direction to move the gear sector 31 throughout therange of its teeth 40, window I4 may be swung through an arc'ofsubstantially one hundred and eighty degrees, or until it is parallel tothe outer wall of the building so that the window opening It] may befully exposed. If desired, the operation of gear sector 31 may bestopped at any point throughout its range of movement to retain thewindow M in a partially open position,

such as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

Crank 3| is turned in an opposite direction, or clockwise to move thewindow it to a closed position.

' served to make such variations and changes as do not depart from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appendedclaims.

I claim as my'inventionz' 1. In a casement window operator, a base plateprovided with an annular groove in its upper face forming a race for aplurality of ball bearings, spaced apertured ears extending upwardlyfrom said base, a worm positioned between said ears and journaledtherein, operating means for said worm comprising a shaft having a cranksecured to its free end, agear rotatably mounted on said ball bearingsand having its teeth in engagement with said worm, a'lever secured tosaid gear and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a link connecting thefree end of said lever and'a casement window, said link being disposedat an acute angle to the lever when the window is in a closed positionand being of a length less than that of the lever to cause the window tobe swung to a fully open position when said operator is actuated by thecrank. 2. In an operator for swinging closures, a base plate having anannular groove forming a race for a plurality of ball bearings, ahorizontally disposed actuator comprising a rotatably mounted worm,operating means for said worm, a gear sector having its teeth inengagement with the worm and rotatably mounted on said ball bearings, alever connected to said gear sector and projecting outwardly therefrom,and a link pivotally connected at one end to the free end of the leverand adapted to be pivotally connected at its opposite end to a swingingclosure.

ALBERT J. POTEET.

